The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-13
Beautiful Hands.


you were like, and In what way pr; Z
"Why the girls you read about, mo-
ther, their hands. They always have
such beautiful hands, you know Now
here's the girl in this book; It calls
her hands tiny or 'white,' or dim
pIed,' or dainty or some such thing
every time it speaks Of them. And
didn't l read in one Of your house,
keeping papers how a lady's hands
should be fair and pink-tipped and
have oval nails with white half-moons
at their base, and all that? And sjnst
look at my great paws" And she cast
look of contempt at the offending
members.
"Bring the great paws here and let
me see them, Kathie," said her moth:
er. ~,
Kathie threw herself on the floor at
her mothers feet, and spread out her
hands for inspection. ? ~f s
Her mother studied them. "Well.n
she said at last, "what is the matter
beautiful hands," -
"Why-Mother-Gray!" Kathie
fairly gasped in astonishment. Beau
tiful! Why, just look at them" s,
II am looking" said the mother.
"What Is wrong with themW
-"Why, they are big and brown and
scratched, and here's q burn, and
there's a cut, and there are needle
pricks and the nails have no half
moons; and why, mother, how can
you say they are beautifulW p
Beauty is in the eve of the behold
er, and in my eyes they are beautiful,
daughter. Let us examine them csiti-
cally. Big you say. Yes 1 am jvefy
glad to see that my little girl fs framed
to grow into woman OF large and mo-
BILE proportions, and that her hands<go
symmetrically with such q body.
tiny hands, Kathie? Far better
these, which are large and yet shaps-
ly, which have power In them, and
remind one that the clothing of;the
truly gracious woman Is strength as
we'll as honor. So much for usef1s.
ness, which is true beauty. And you
have art in your favor, too. The beau
tiful ideals which the Greeks have
given US have generous sized hands
and feet. Just to imagine the Venus,
de Milo with tiny hands |" -
Kathie began to look little comfort
ed. "But see how brown they are"
she said. 20.
II do see with great pleasure" said
her mother. "That brown comes
from the kiss of the sun, and the, ca
ress of the wind. It tells of outdoor
life. of botanizing expeditions, Of nut
ting and fishing excursions, Of the
wise garnering of health. To me It 10
beautiful. The hands are clean and
neatly kept, Kathleen, and that Is all
any sensible person should ask from .
girl Of your age: On you white hands
would look sadly out Of place. and
'half-moons' are nonsensical and ar
bitrary demand of fashion. In some
countries, fashion DEGREES that the
hands shall be died black; In others,
they must be trimmed to sharp
point. Is that, beauty"
swell, but see all those scars and
things" persisted Kathleen. c'
Beauty spots in my eyes, dear."
said her mother, drawing the hands
fondly to her lips. II know that
those needle-pricks were put there last
night, when you hemmed the sails for
Jacks new boat, though you did want
to finish that splendid book That
burn is the reminder Of the night
when Nora had her bad headache, and
my helpful daughter got the supper.
These scratches-do / not remember
how 7 longed for some wild blackber-
ries, and how dear girl spent all her
half-holiday In picking them for mi? ?
And this cut, I think, came because
your skill was not quite equal to your
good will, when you helped little Har-
old transform his shingle into g big
ship. You have beautiful, helpfal
hands, dear daughter, and 1 thank
God for it,"
Kathie looked at her hands soberly
and humbly, but with a happy light
in her eyes.
"You've got tlp-top hands, Kate,
and you needn't run 'em down..
broke in Jack who had come In ungo.
ticed. II always say, that for a. girl;
commend me to you, because you
aren't always afraid Of spelling YOUR:
hands, like some girls that won't go
anywhere or do anything" - 7'.''
That night Kathie found pinned on
to her cushion a slip from q newspa-
per.
"Just like mother,n she smiled.
"She always finds something to fit fih"
And this Is: what mother had FOUND,
in a very old newspaper, to "fit in =" g,
II saw a pair of hands-beautiful
hands, the world called them: Small
and shapely and fair, with nesting
dimples and taper fingers. Hands too
delicate to bear any burden heavier
than flashing jewels. Beautiful hands'
whispered gentlemen, as they bent
over them in courtly gaIlantry: 'Beau-
tiful hands, pouted ladies, as they en-
Wed their possessor. But they were
hands that were never lifted to help
bear another's load that were never
raised to wipe away the mournsr's
lear: that were unroughened by any
work performed for others that were
never folded together in prayer thai
daintily held the dress aside, iest 1t
touch a beggar in the street. Beauti-
fui hands, the world called them. God
and the angels called them ugly.
II saw another pair of hahds-ugly
hands, the world called them. Not
small, nor comely, nor white, and
wearing no jewels but tears from crate.
full hearts whose loads they had light
ened. Hands the possessOr Of which
none would bend over, calling them
beautiful. But they were hands often
folded in humble devotion; hands
which had carried blessing to many
home; which had smoothed many q